Rotary internal-combustion engine



AugQlG, 1949. s, JOHNSON 2,478,924

I ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 19,1946 24 20 r 5\ J 3mm Aug. 16, 1949. G. s. JOHNSON ROTARYINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 Aug.16, 1949 e. s. JOHNSON Filed Patented Aug. 16, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Getty S. Johnson, Charleston, W. Va. Application September 19,1946, Serial No. 698,027

2 Claims. (or. 123- 12) This invention relates to rotary internalcombustion engines. An object of this invention is to provide a rotaryinternal combustion engine wherein the impulse acts upon a rotary pistoncarried by a rotor, and the rotary piston is geared to the stationaryhousing. Y

Another object of Lthisinventionis to provide: a rotary engine embodyingoppositely disposed substantially ovoidal pistons which are movablewithin an orbit formed with aplurality of radially arrangedsnbstantiallyovoidal cylinders.

I A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine whichwill be smooth in running and will embody a plurality of power impulsesfor each rotation of the rotor;

p A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary enginewherein the air used for compression'is discharged into the cylindersunder a predetermined and water in the form pressure, of mist isdischarged into the compressed air for the initial purpose of coolingthe cylinders and. with the fuel mixture for the purpose of, mixing soas to'form an expansible mixture which will expand beyond the limit ofan air and fuel mixture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine inwhich the exhaust gases are readily scavenged from the cylinders and theair remaining in the cylinders after scavenging is used for mixture withthe waterland fuel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved rotaryengine which is of practical and simple construction and which embodiessturdy movable parts so that the engine will with-' stand hard usage.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specifications, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a rotary, internal combustionengine, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, takensubstantially on the line of l-l of Figure 2. l 7

Figure '2 is a sectional view taken on the. line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2,

2 V Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view 5-5 of Figure l, v

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure2. j

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally anannular'housing formed of a circular outer wall ll, an integral sidewall l2, and a removable opposite side wall 13. The housing In is formedwith an annular rotor chamber l4 and is also formed with a plurality ofradially arranged substantially ovoidal cylinders l5 extending fromchamber [4 and communicating with the latter. Each cylinder l5'is alsoformed adjacent the outer portion thereof with an offset combustionchamber I6. I v The housing ID has rotatably mounted therein arotorgenerally designated as IT. The'rotor i1 is formed with opposedarcuate cut outs l8 form ing piston chambers, and the rotor I! alsoincludes an opposed pair of exhaust ports IS. The ports H! are arrangedin pairs disposed diametrically of each other and the rotor II alsotaken on the line includes apair of disc-shaped plates 20, 2| secured byfastening means 22 and 23 respectively to the opposite sides of therotor body. These plates 20, 2| are also formed with ports 24 and 25respectively, communicating with the ports IS.

The housing I0 is also formed with air passages 26 extendingtransversely between .pairsof cylinders l5, and the transverse or rightangular passages communicate at their inner ends with inclined passages21 which communicate with the ports 24 when the latter are inregistration with the passages 21. .The rotor is carried by a shaft 28journaled in bearings 29 carried by an outer plate 3|], fixed byfastening means 3| to the housing wall I2. The wall I2 is formed with anannular recess or chamber 32 within which a ring gear 33 is secured byfastening means .34;

The rotor I! has rotatably mounted between the plates 20, 2| thereof, apair of piston units generally designated as 35. Each piston unit 35'includes a plurality of radially arranged ovoidal pistons 36 which arefixed to ,a shaft 31 journaled through plates 20, 2|. A spur gear 38 ismounted on each shaft 31 and extends into the gear, chamber 32 andmesheswith the ring gear 33. In this manner upon rotation of the rotor ll thepiston units will also be rotated in a planetary movement with therotor.

The rotor plate 2| is provided with an exhaust port 39 opening into eachcHamIber I8, and the outer plate 4I fixed to the housing II! byfastening means 42 is formed with a plurality of circumferentiallyarranged exhaust openings or ports 43 which are adapted to be inconstant communication with the exhaust ports 39 upon rotation of therotor IT. The rotor I! is adapted to rotate in the direction shown bythe arrow 44 in Figure 2, and the piston units 35 are adapted to rotatein the direction indicated by the arrow 45 in Figure 2.

Each combustion chamber "It ,has associated therewith an igniter orspark plu 45 and a fuel pipe 41 is connected with the combustion chamber l6 and has interposed therein a fuel injector 48. The fuel injector48 is a conventional fuel injector of the compression injection type sothat when the air in cylinder I and the combustion chamber I E iscompressed to a predetermined degree by a, piston 36, the fuel will beinjected into .4 the exhaust post 39a, at which time piston 36a will beon the compression stroke and will enter cylinder I5a.

The rotor I I is so constructed, and the air ports 24 and 25 togetherwith ports I9 and l9a, are so arranged, that the periphery of the rotorI'I out ofl adjacent cylinders, such as cylinders I50, and I5b at thetime piston 36b is on the compression stroke thereof and until piston35b substantially enters cylinder I5b.

With an engine as hereinbefore described, there will be provided abalanced rotor structure wherein the pistons are of the rotary typeinstead of the reciprocating type, and the pistons form rotary abutmentswhich are carried by the rotor. It will be understood that there may beas many cylinders I5 in the housing I0 as may be desired, there beingnine such cylinders shown, and as there are two piston units, eachformed of three pistons, there will be eighteen power strokes for,;every rotation of the rotor.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim the compressed air. After the motor has beenop-.

erated for a period whereb the motor will become heated to apredetermined degree, the motor structure is adapted to be cooled bywater entering each cylinder vlfithrough a water injection pipe 49. Thepipe 49 has interposed therein a water injector 5B of conventionalconstruction, and of the compression injection type similar to the fuelinjector 48. -The water injector 5B is regulated as to its operation bymeans of .a conventional thermostat 5|. Preferably the water is injectedin the form of a spray ahead of the fuel injection so that this Waterupon entering the heated'cylinder I 5 will initially cool the cylinderand will be turned into steam for mixture with the compressed air andfuel so that when the fuel mixture ignites there will be a greater expansion of the mixture than would be the case if only air and fuelwere'mixed together.

In the operation of this engine, air is admitted to one cylinder, suchas cylinder I5a, when the rotor I I is in a position with the port I9thereof and the port 24 of plate '20 in communication with an airpassage 21. The air in passages 26 and 21 is under pressure from anindependent pressure source so that when port 24 registers with apassage 2?, air will enter the cylinder Ida, and this air will scavengecylinder I5a, flowing out through the outlet port I9a of rotor 2'!through port 25a of plate 4I.

As rotor 1'! turns in counterclockwise rotation, as viewed in Figure 2,port 24 willmove out of register with air passage 2'I,lleaving cylinderI511 filled with air. Whenrotor I? rotates an additional distance,piston 36a will enter cylinder i511 soas to thereby compress the airpresent in this cylinder and when the air hasbeen compressed to apredetermined degree, injectors will operate and inject fuel intocombustion chamber Ilia. As noted in Figure 2, piston 36b is on thecompression stroke thereof wherein this piston is just entering cylinder[5b. At this time piston 350 is completely within the cylinder We and isbeginning the power stroke, the air and fuel mixture being compressedwithin the combustion chamber H30. At the same time piston 36a is justpassing out of cylinder I5d, being on the expansion stroke. As soon aspiston 36b uncovers the exhaust port 39a, the exhaust gases which are inthe space between the pistons 36a and 3% will be exhausted through theexhaust port 39a. The exhaust cycle will continue until piston 36a movesto a position closing all variations falling within the purview of theappended claims. Also I do not mean to confine myself to thewithindescribed method of cooling as if desired the engine may be cooled withconventional methods of cooling such as water jackets, fins or the like.

What I claim is:

1. Arotary internal combustion engine com.- pri'sing a stationaryhousing having a plurality of radially arranged inwardly opening ovoidalcylinders, a rotor rotatably disposed in said housing and adaptedtoclose the inner ends of said cylinders, said rotor having a pair ofoppositely disposed arcuate chambers opening toward said cylinders, saidhousing having an air intake port confronting one side of said rotor,and having an air outlet port opposite from said intake port, said rotorhaving a pair of recesses extending inwardly from the periphery thereofadapted to register with said air intake and outlet ports whereby airunder pressure may be admitted to each cylinder'for scavenging saidcylinders, said rotor'having an exhaust port communicating with eachchamber, and said housing having spaced exhaust ports with which saidrotor exhaust ports are adapted to registena piston unit rotatablycarried 'by said rotor in each chamber, each unit being formed of aplurality of ovoidal pistons engageable in said cylinders, a combustionchamber laterally offset from each cylinder, and means discharging fuelinto each cylinder.

2. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a stationary housinghaving a-plurality of radially arranged inwardly opening ovoidalcylinders, a rotor rotatably disposed in said housing and adaptedtoclose theinner .ends of said cylinders, said rotor having a pair ofoppositely-disposed arcuate chambers opening toward said cylinders, saidhousing having an air intake port confronting one side of said rotor,and having an air outlet port opposite from said intake port, said rotorhaving a pair of recesses extenchng inwardly from the periphery thereofadapted to register with said air intake and outlet ports whereby airunder pressure may be admitted to each cylinder for scavenging saidcylinders, said rotor having an exhaust port communicating with eachchamber, and said housing having spaced exhaust ports with which saidrotor exhaust ports are adapted to register, a piston unit rotatablycarried by said rotor in each' chamber,

.75 each unit being formed of a plurality of ovoidal 5 pistonsengageable in said cylinders, a combustion chamber laterally offset fromeach cylinder, means discharging fuel into each cylinden'and meansdischarging Water into each cylinder on the compression cycle.

GETTY S. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Number Date Diesel July 16, 1895 Number 10Number

